New Jersey Certified Public Accountants High School Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by New Jersey Certified Public Accountants

The NJCPA Scholarship Fund offers $1,500 scholarships for a one-year period to New Jersey high school seniors who are college-bound and plan to major in accounting or pursue an accounting concentration with a minimum of 24 accounting credits.

Along with the scholarship, the recipients will be assigned NJCPA mentors during their college years. These mentors are available to provide guidance on academic careers, the accounting profession, and the CPA exam. The mentoring program aims to support the upcoming generation of accounting professionals.

Before you fill out the application form, you need to:

• Write an essay of 450-500 words on the given topic. The essay should be pasted into the application form for submission. Please avoid including any personal identifiers like your name or school in your essay. The essay will be evaluated based on its length, originality of content, commitment to becoming a CPA, and grammar, language, and organization. A high-quality essay will clearly and accurately answer the question, cover all requested topics, be unique, creative, and engaging, demonstrate sophisticated language and vocabulary use, and indicate a deep understanding of the accounting profession. The candidate should express enthusiasm about their potential achievements as a CPA.
  • Topic: What personal experiences inspired you to choose accounting?
• Read and agree to the rules below.

Rules

1. Eligibility This scholarship is open to college-bound high school seniors planning to major in accounting or pursue an accounting concentration with a minimum of 24 accounting credits. Applicants must:
   1. Be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident, and a NJ resident attending a NJ public, parochial/private or home school high school.
   2. Have a cumulative three-year GPA of 3.2 or above OR a minimum total SAT score* (combined evidence-based reading and writing plus math) of 1260 OR minimum composite ACT score of 26. School transcripts and test scores should be submitted via mail, email or fax. A screenshot of test scores is acceptable.
   3. Plan to enroll in a U.S. college/university in the upcoming fall semester. Students planning to attend a two-year college must submit a letter of intent signed by the student and a parent or legal guardian indicating that the student intends to obtain a four-year degree as an accounting major or pursue an accounting concentration with a minimum of 24 accounting credits at a four-year college/university after completing studies at the two-year college.
2. Application Deadline All applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. December 8, 2025. A completed application includes:
   1. An online application with all required fields filled out.
   2. An online application essay with no identifying information (e.g., your name, your school).
   3. A Guidance Department Form including student grade point average, standardized test score, guidance counselor name and signature, submitted by the student’s guidance counselor via mail, email or fax.
   4. A copy of SAT or ACT score results, submitted via mail, email or fax. A screenshot of test scores is acceptable. All application components must be received by midnight December 8, 2025 for the application to be considered complete. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the NJCPA if confirmation of receipt is not received within three (3) business days of submission.
3. Required Interview All finalists will be informed by January 5, 2026. Finalists must participate in a brief virtual interview on Saturday, January 17, 2026. No alternative date will be provided.
4. Inquiries The NJCPA Student Programs and Scholarship Committee will address any questions regarding eligibility, participation or selection of winners. The committee’s decisions are final in all matters. Questions about the scholarship program can be directed to Pam Isenburg via email.
5. Notification of Results Scholarship winners will be announced in early March 2026. A list of all recipients will be posted at njcpa.org/scholarship.
6. Duplicate Scholarships If a scholarship recipient also receives a scholarship from another source, which would be forfeited as a result of winning an NJCPA Scholarship, the Student Programs and Scholarship Committee may, upon the recipient’s request, withdraw or reduce the NJCPA Scholarship amount.
7. Award Disbursement and Terms The scholarship funds will be paid directly to the college or university. The payment is subject to the submission of the Scholarship Activation Form.